NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party leaders attacked the BJP for proposing an increase in the amount of taxes collected by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) saying it will increase the burden on people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
AAP leader Durgesh Pathak and Delhi Cabinet minister Gopal Rai led the attack on South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for proposing hikes to two different types of taxes and the introduction of two new tax slabs.
The two new taxes proposed are the introduction of a professional tax, which is to be levied on doctors, engineers, architects among others and a tax on unauthorised colonies. The other pre-existing taxes that have been proposed to get hikes are — property transfer tax and electricity tax.
“The increase in tax in this period of corona is very tragic for the people of Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party strongly opposes this and all our corporators, LOPs will raise their voice against this proposal in the house of the corporation. At this time, the imposition of four taxes on the people of Delhi shows the anti-people character of the BJP,” said Rai.
These taxes were proposed in the budget of the corporation earlier and had been accepted by the standing committee as a means of increasing the civic body’s revenue. They would be implemented only after the approval of the House. However, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta assured a rollback of the proposal, “I have spoken to the Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation and requested to withdraw the corporation’s proposal for an increase in taxes. The Mayor agrees,” the BJP leader tweeted.